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Mike Shanahan on Tim Tebow: 'He's something that's very special'

As we noted earlier, Mike Shanahan had nice things to say about several of the quarterback prospects in this year's draft. But because he just finished visiting with Tim Tebow in-person, his remarks on the Florida Gators' Heisman Trophy winner seem especially noteworthy.

"I like everything about him," Shanahan said. "If you can't root for a guy like Tebow, man, you don't like your [own] kids."

Shanahan visited the Gainesville, Fla., campus on Saturday, along with Washington general manager Bruce Allen and Scott Campbell, the team's director of player personnel. Speaking with reporters for the first time since seeing Tebow workout, Shanahan had a fairly glowing review this morning.

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"Here's a guy to me that brings everything to the table. He'll interview with 30 people, work out for everybody [and] when you're with him, he's just an off-the-chart guy," Shanahan said. "Those guys don't come around all the time. Especially with the success that he's had."

"I just think he's something that's very special," he added.

Obviously, the knock against Tebow will continue to be his mechanics and throwing accuracy. His footwork certainly isn't blowing away NFL coaches, but Shanahan says what he saw on Saturday was a noticeable improvement from what Tebow showed scouts and coaches at the Senior Bowl in January.

"I think what everybody was looking at from the Senior Bowl was where he dropped the ball below his waist," Shanahan said. "I think he's doing a great job keeping the ball up high, and I think everybody saw that at his workout."

Tebow isn't a guy the Redskins are going to use their first-round pick on. And because they don't have a third-round pick, if they're serious about Tebow, it'd seem the only option is their second-round pick. Projections are all over the map with analysts having him going anywhere from late in the first round until the fourth. It's largely guesswork because different coaches value different things. And the question next month will be which team and which coach feels Tebow's intangibles -- coachability, work ethic and passion for the game -- outweigh his skillset.

Shanahan brought up another one-time draft prospect who was similarly dogged before the draft for having poor mechanics.

"When Phillip Rivers came out, everybody said he didn't have the perfect throwing motion, the perfect release. At least in my opinion, [Rivers'] is one of the best in the business; he's in the top three or four," he said. "Sometimes you've got to be able to play the game. You can dissect everybody's game, but the bottom line is how he plays and how he gets it done."

The one and the same Zorn, who had never given the league anything to study, and had a healthy O line and running back.

Seems almost too coincidental, right? That just about the time that the league starts to develop a book on Zorn, the Oline gets hurt, and Portis gets nicked, that's when the production falls off? Stranger than fiction, really, that LeBeau in Pitt figured out how to make Zorn curl up into 5 yard out land, and then he handed that to the rest of the league.

It all makes sense.

More sense than a hypothesis that our QB suddenly stopped throwing the ball to open receivers, anyway. Jeez, if it were THAT simple

According to Lo Alexander: not only have they revamped the training, added a new strength and conditioning coach but they have 30 minutes a day of film to get up to speed with the new defensive philosophy and switch to a hybrid 3- 4.

This is now a professional organization with a top notch strength and conditioning program and Fat Al is choosing to be trained by a dude that graduated from Golds Gym. He had 100 million reasons the last time he trained with him, now what is his motivation? He needs to be there, no exceptions and no excuses

I'm only going to say this once ~ I'm a non-Gators fan Floridian who has watched Tebow his entire collegiate career ~ and I can only say this guy is something else. I'd rather have him behind center than Jason Campbell, Todd Collins, Rex Grossman, or ANYONE ELSE ShanAllen can come up with. Few can argue the guy's a winner but my impressions go far beyond that. As I watched him play I kept thinking he couldn't throw long on target, but lo & behold the SOB kept throwing long on target. He's a left-hander, I kept thinking his receivers could never get used to it, but lo & behold it wasn't a problem. I'm not one to tout anyone out of college, and I hate despite living in Florida I despise the Florida Gators ~ I once lost a girlfriend to a Gators fan with season tickets ~ but I can't deny the obvious ~ Tebow is a Tom Brady and nothing less. Hate to say it, it pains me in certain ways, but I've watched the guy play since the beginning and it's simply true. I'll do cartwheels if he slips to the 2nd round and we take him ~ naked cartwheels or whatever it takes!

You thought last years Redskins team were bad....Now he was on legitimately bad teams in Arizona......

He had 2, maybe 3 bad years in his total carrer....but proved in Denver he could hang....

Posted by: 4thFloor | March 24, 2010 3:13 PM | Report abuse

I think you need to take a better look at Plummer. It's more like 5 bad seasons and 1 good one and that's if you like to use team records or player stats to indicate player success. He had 1 season where he threw more TDs than picks

1997 4-12
1998 9-7
1999 6-10
2000 3-13
2001 7-9
2002 5-11

Don't try to tell me this team isn't legitimately terrible either. The sad truth is we are probably just as bad as those Cardinal teams. We'll be a lot better this year just by switching to real nfl schemes.

Agree 100%. But it turned out he didn't have the chops to steer an organization, which meant standing up to Danny Boy and The Rat.

There is a saying that Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out. Failure, then, must be the sum of small laziness repeated day in and day out.

Our cumulative failure over the years has been a result of the corrosive small failures at every level of the organization. From changing schemes, to bringing in big names, to ignoring the draft, to undervaluing fiscal responsibility, to promoting unqualified personnel to leadership positions, to not enforcing a common discipline policy, we have a recipe for an organization which has sought the path of least resistance, and is thus in its current rotten state.

This is not JC or Zorns fault, but neither is big enough to right the ship. Bruce Allen and Shanahan are definitely guys who can keep the ship right-side up, but even Shanny has shown that one man can't do it all.

Between now and Draft Day (and shortly thereafter as well), expect more heads to roll and a completely different roster to take shape than the current collection of goons and underachievers, potentially with Jason Clownble off of the roster.

Hey...I hear Tebow's already a big JC fan. Will he feel blasphemous if he takes his job?
(joking, folks. I couldn't resist the temptation)
In all seriousness...PLEASE draft OT, OT, ILB, FS, & RB (in that order). QB can wait 1 more year. Jason will be much more effective this year with:
1) An improved, healthier O-line,
2) An improved (hopefully healthier) running attack,
3) A better offensive scheme produced by several proven offensive minds,
4) An improved defense that won't have the offense's back against the wall all the time, and
5) An improved overall atmosphere throughout the whole organization.

If not, everyone's expecting this to be a "rebuilding" year anyway. Let's get all the right pieces together for our franchise QB to get off to the best possible start next year (assuming there is a next year - football-wise, not Armageddon-wise).

Knowing Tebow has a hot girlfriend makes me feel better about him. It's like, he may belong to some Jesus cult, but at least he's not crazy.- Skinsfan

Actually her being hot only increases my fear that hes a nut case. We all know hes not banging her so if shes really that hot and hes not getting that... i mean thats not a qb I want leading my team anywhere.

I just think it's funny how every1 criticizes Zorn, yet--for argument sake--when he had a healthy O-line, Rb, and a mistake free QB, we were all horny for Zorny.

Coaches like QBs will continue to be judged by the winning percentage.

Zorn wins, he stays
Zorn loses, he goes

Posted by: Vicc

My sense is that something subtle happened -- and I really haven't seen anyone report on it. After Zorn's opening game disaster vs the jints, he looked at what worked and what didn't. The WCO didn't work, plays from the shotgun did. So Zorn did a smart thing, largely abandoned the WCO and let Campbell and the offense play to their strengths.

We went 6-1 over the next 7 games.

As the season went on, I'm guessing there was a conversation between Vinny and Zorn where Vinny said: "We hired you to implement a WCO and we expect to see it implemented." Zorn complied, perhaps happily, perhaps not. Don't know.

The reason that I'm pretty sure that conversation took place is that Vinny sold Snyder on the WCO -- Zorn was hired to implement the WCO.

Zorn's version of the WCO was an unfortunate mutation -- clearly not all versions are created equal. Everyone pointed to the OL issues as the reason for our decline -- clearly they were #1 on the list of problems. But another problem was that Zorn was pushing an offense that wasn't well designed and the players weren't good at executing.

To me, a big part of the story was that Zorn's offensive design was mediocre. The WCO places a heavy premium on execution and discipline -- not Zorn's strong suits.

The OL was easily the biggest problem and Zorn had little control over that disaster. But if you went past the OL, Zorn's version of the WCO wasn't very good.

Dan LeFevour | Interested: Redskins?, Bills?, Raiders?, Browns? Top Email According to a report from the Canton Repository, Central Michigan QB Dan LeFevour can count the Cleveland Browns as a team that has him on their radar for April's draft. This is not a surprising move, and we speculated recently that LeFevour would make sense for the team.

LeFevour will run extensive passing drills at his pro day on Wednesday, and we should have a better feel for where he'll be drafted after then. Within his chat on Wednesday afternoon, ESPN's Mel Kiper, Jr. said that he could see the Redskins, Browns, Raiders and Bills being interested.

Mel Kiper, Jr.
The next Chad?
"I could see him going in the second round. He's my fourth best QB. He really helped himself in the Senior Bowl practices. He has a good enough arm. He has adequate mobility. Very smart. Loves to study film. I've compared him to Chad Pennington."

LeFevour is the only player in NCAA history with over 12,000 passing yards and 2,500 rushing yards and currently sits 2nd all time in total offensive yards. He also holds the FBS record for total touchdowns with 150.

I like everything about him," Shanahan said. "If you can't root for a guy like Tebow, man, you don't like your [own] kids."
____
yeah I'm sure Tebow is a great guy.. but the Skins will not draft him at number 4.. and if they think he will be around for 2nd round I'd say that's a big risk.. personally I believe that Jaguars will work the draft so they get him.. probably late first round...

Vicc... to Tim Tebow it is not. Joe Gibbs had pregame prayers and post game prayers but did not force his beliefs on you every minute of every day. I am not saying Tebow is a bad person for this but he does preach a lot and use God in his everyday speach. That is not a bad thing per say, but seeing as he continually does it and does it in a way that makes a lot of people feel as if hes doing it in a "I'm better than you" mannor, it is not unnecessary for a fed up, pissed off 21 year old to tell him to STFU.

Knowing Tebow has a hot girlfriend makes me feel better about him. It's like, he may belong to some Jesus cult, but at least he's not crazy.

Posted by: skinfanman | March 24, 2010 3:34 PM | Report abuse

Actually, Tebow is single. The pics of him with hot chicks are actually just that. Random chicks that saw him out and about and asked to have a picture taken with him. Eventually the pics were spread on the internet and people assumed they were of Tebow and his girlfriend. Personally I can't find it but theres an interview on YouTube where he jokes around about how surprised he was about the whole situation. Still even though this kills your.....whatever it is, you can still rest easy on the fact that the guy is a chick magnet.

Showing my age, but I remember when George Allen chose Billy Kilmer over Sonny Jurgensen. Sonny was as sweet a passer as we will ever see; Kilmer's passes looked like wounded ducks. But Allen, looking at the whole picture, went with Kilmer. Could Tebow be a Billy Kilmer type of quarterback?

That story yesterday about a player telling Tebow to "Shut the f*ck up" before the Wonderlic test was hilarious. I would have paid good money to be in the room when that happened.

Posted by: iH8dallas | March 24, 2010 3:53 PM

really it shouldn't have been a story. But the media will over-hype/magnify any public misstep on Tim Tebow.

Joe Gibbs would ask players and coaches to join him in prayer ALL the time. For those who do not wish to join in the prayer, a simple No Thanx will suffice...STFU is a bit unnecessary and immature.

Posted by: Vicc | March 24, 2010 4:06 PM | Report abuse

It is immature, but it sure is funny

Posted by: iH8dallas | March 24, 2010 4:18 PM | Report abuse

Being a bit more circumspect, my reaction, had I been in the room, probably would have been more along the lines of Annie Savoy's in the movie "Bull Durham," when Nuke LaLoosh's father asked Nuke and Annie to join him in prayer after finding out about Nuke's being called up to the Majors: "Oooh, let's not!" But "STFU" was definitely funnier.

Showing my age, but I remember when George Allen chose Billy Kilmer over Sonny Jurgensen. Sonny was as sweet a passer as we will ever see; Kilmer's passes looked like wounded ducks. But Allen, looking at the whole picture, went with Kilmer. Could Tebow be a Billy Kilmer type of quarterback?

Posted by: Marshall4

Have no clue about Tebow as Kilmer sort, but Sonny was easily the better QB.

Thing is, Sonny couldn't stay healthy for very long at that point in his career. So even when Sonny took over for Kilmer, as happened every year, it always went back to Kilmer when Sonny got hurt.

Really? I seem to recall (yes it WAS a long time ago) them screaming "Oh God" an awful lot.

Posted by: zcezcest1 | March 24, 2010 4:38 PM | Report abuse

Rimshot

Posted by: alex35332

The old joke goes like this:

When God was designing the human anatomy, he asked one of his angels to get him 5,000 of those extra sensitive nerve endings. The angel, stunned looked at God and started on about how even just 1 of these extra sensitive nerve endings was just too much. 5,000 was ridiculous, and to have them all in one spot. No way.

God thought about it, then said "give me 10,000 of those nerve endings, I want them screaming my name."

Which QB is the next Peyton Manning (1st overall)?
How about Alkili Smith (3rd overall)?
The next Tim Couch (1st overall)?
Cade McNown (12th overall) or Heath Shuler (3rd overall)?

Excuse me if I don't get excited about blowing high picks on a QB. The one we have is plenty good enough. I'm all for competition, but not getting rid of a perfectly good QB in the hopes we can find one better. So far, no one has beaten JC17 out.

Our O-line blows and our run game is dismal, let's fix those areas where we KNOW we can improve right away with a rookie.

Have you been to the UF campus?? Not like walking through College Park.

Posted by: skinsfanintampa | March 24, 2010 4:41 PM

"Last Action Hero" flashback. Where are all the normal women at?

I'm visited Sarasota once for a friends wedding. I have a friend who is a night manager at Club Skye in Ybor city. She hooked us up one night for his bachelor party. Beauty is a dime a dozen down there in Florida.

Actually her being hot only increases my fear that hes a nut case. We all know hes not banging her so if shes really that hot and hes not getting that... i mean thats not a qb I want leading my team anywhere.

Posted by: peoplearestupid1 | March 24, 2010 3:59 PM | Report abuse

Do you really believe he's not hitting it? I'm sure she's taking good care of him.

I'm hoping this is draft kidology, with the aim of encouraging people to trade with us or above us, increasing the chance that the player we want lasts till our 2nd round pick.

Tebow was a great college player but he's is too slow to and too physical to be a running QB. More important, though is that he isn't accurate. He wasn't accurate with his natural throwing motion and now he's trying to learn an entirely new one.

I really don't care how nice he is, how good he is to old people, children and animals. I don't care if he is a great locker room presence. He is an interception machine in waiting.

Re Haynsworth wanting to "work out" on his own, with his own trainer, and not with his team-mates.
I don't know about you, but if I had a 100million contract, that pays, what... about $17mill a year? Wouldn't you bring this workout guru to DC? I mean, what's a private jet rent for? Oh, too expensive, for you Albert? What about you send him a train ticket? or maybe a Greyhound ticket is more your style?
C'mon, Shanahan, get rid of this over-weight, egotistical, rich punk. The Skins have enough of 'em.

zcezcest1- i knew someone was going to comment on that... I have no problem if that is his life choice, but I would, personally, rather my starting QB in the nfl, know what its like to bang. Just think its an important life lesson that i think a starting Qb in the NFL should know.

McNabb to the Rams on the table
ORLANDO -- Donovan McNabb could be in a Rams uniform by the end of the day, possibly by the end of the week.

The Eagles have an offer on the table that would give them St. Louis' second-round draft pick (33d overall) and free safety Oshiomogho Atogwe in exchange for McNabb. That deal, however, is "not yet completed," according to a league source.

McNabb would be willing to go to the Rams if he was given a contract extension, according to a source close to the situation. He would not be willing to play for Buffalo or Oakland, two moribund franchises that might be willing to take McNabb without an extension.

McNabb has publicly stated that he wants to remain with the Eagles and retire with the only organization he has played for. McNabb released a blog post earlier today after coach Andy Reid said for the first time publicly that the Eagles were entertaining offers for McNabb and their three quarterbacks.

"I was asked to respond to statements made at the NFL owners meetings that the Eagles would entertain offers to trade any of their three QBs," McNabb wrote. "Here is my response: My position hasn't changed. I've said all along that I would like to win a Super Bowl and finish my career in Philadelphia.

"I understand the situation well and just hope whichever direction the Eagles decide to go in, they do it quickly. I think that would be best for me, Kevin [Kolb], Michael [Vick], the Eagles, and any other teams involved. No matter what happens, I've already begun preparing to have an outstanding season in 2010."

A trade could happen quickly.

The Eagles had no comment. Owner Jeffrey Lurie, coach Andy Reid and general manager Howie Roseman returned back to Philadelphia today after this week's NFL owners' meetings. Team president Joe Banner is still here.

McNabb, meanwhile, hasn't spoken to Reid in months, according to one source. While Reid said that the Eagles were listening to offers for all three of their quarterbacks, McNabb is the most likely to be dealt and be dealt soon. He has spent most of the off-season at his home in Arizona.

The first season under Zorn, the Skins were 6-2, and JC's rating was over 100--one of the analysts actually mentioned him in the MVP conversation at that point. Keep in mind that during that stretch was the only time he had the o-line that was supposed to be starting, which in turn helped the running game, which in turn helped JC. When the pieces around him have been healthy and productive he had a great stretch as QB. Despite everyhting around him he has still improved his number EVERY year, you can't ask much more about the person who is your starting QB. I understand that winning is the ultimate bench mark of the teams success. Keep in mind that there were 31 QBs that failed to reach the ultimate goal last season. What did the last four teams remaining have in common among other things? All four were EXCELLENT when it comes to protecting the QB!!!!!! That old saying that the QB gets too much praise when the team wins, and too much blame when the team loses has some truth to it.

"When Phillip Rivers came out, everybody said he didn't have the perfect throwing motion, the perfect release."

Sure, when Rivers was drafted people noted that he side-armed it a bit. However, they also tended to point out that at 6'5" his motion didn't cause any problems in college and probably wouldn't in the pros either.

Tebow, doesn't just have a slow release, and it is glacially slow, he is also inaccurate without having any zip either. He was never been noted as a good passer in college. I can't see that changing against NFL calibre defences. His wind-up is so elaborate it that doesn't so much telegraph his throw as place advanced notice in all the major media outlets.

03/24/2010soulman386 I'm telling you people. Kolb will excel in Andy Reid's system. The offense will be more consistent which in turn will help the defense. The 33rd pick would be good compensation for McNabb. They're gonna pull the trigger. This is awesome man! C'mon McNabb supports. It's time to move and support Kevin Kolb. He's your QB.

Bleue Kolb is going to be an interception machine....everybody that discounts McNabb's td/int ratio will learn quickly how appreciative they should have been when KK takes over...Jay Cutler will be able to relax knowing he won't lead the league in picks anymore!

03/24/2010Repeat1stdown Pull the trigger. This is about as good as the Eagles could hope for and he won't be able to hurt the Birds from the Camden of the Mississippi.

03/24/2010PhillyFever It's time !
Eilex826 wolf...you are around. Guess the latter part of my argument is correct. You run your mouth but lack the foot"BALLS" to back it up, huh?

03/24/2010wondo40 If true, a sad day for Eagles fans. One of the all-time greats. Gave us some great, exciting years.

03/24/2010soulman386 With Kolb at QB you see less bombs but better short and intermediate passing. More yards after the catch. He'll get the ball out quicker and the sacks will go down.

03/24/2010palmyra21 soulman, McNabb's the QB now. Will you support him?

03/24/2010kjuggs77 It'll be sad on one hand, but at the same time, WHOOOOHOOOO! I'm ready for Kolb to take the reigns...what's to be worried about? Reid is a really good coach and Kevin will be prepped accordingly. He showed after two games last year that he is more than capable. Only NFL QB in NFL HISTORY to throw for more than 700 yards in his first two starts...yeah, he's going to be horrible according to you #5 lovers...I miss McNabb already-NOT!HAHAHAHA

Update: There's been a whirlwind of rumors -- on both Philly and New York sports radio stations -- that a deal is being hashed out involving McNabb going to the Rams for the No. 33 overall pick. It's a rumor we heard a few weeks ago, and apparently it's back "on the table" per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. McNabb has a de facto no-trade clause, in that if he doesn't want to go to a certain team, he won't negotiate a new deal with them. His current pact expires after the upcoming season, and it's not believed he wants to end his career for one of the league's bottom-feeding teams. However, according to McLane, McNabb is willing to go to the Rams if they offer him a contract extension.

It could happen. The Ram's HC and OC are former Eagles coaches. The Rams are in the middle of an ownership sale and whoever is making the interim financial decisions could be more favorably disposed to deal with McNabb than a costly long-term commitment to someone like Bradford. Less money committed and less risk. The Rams must be feeling the pinch of having $$$ committed to two #2s in the last two drafts, not getting much so far out of them, and not wanting another payroll buster this year with little current bang for the buck in a market with a diminishing, disgruntled fan base.

If I'm a Ram's fan...I'm pissed. McNabb has 2-3 years left and he will retire by the time they have a competitive roster.

Posted by: Diesel44 | March 24, 2010 5:46 PM |

The Rams of the future are an unknown. You could have ambitious new ownership like Dan Snyder who want to restore former glory and they decide to keep McNabb around while the Rams scuffle for a couple more years until they can get their hands on Matt Barkley and are off and running.

Not only did Shanny draft Clarett in the 3rd round, he was basically forced to cut him after he (Clarett) was found to be stowing Grey Goose in his water bottle during training camp practices. (Absolutely true story)

I grew up in DC, life ling die hard, but I have lived in Colorado since 1999 and have followed Shanny closely.

He's a hell of a coach, and I think he knows offensive personnel like nobody else. Defense not so much. He will also be the first to tell you that he lost site of some things during his last few years here. He got a bit cavalier and I hope the Skins will benefit from his time away from the game.

I'll say this, and I was never a fan of his personally, but this guy just does not lob up losing records very often. I saw him take some horrific teams and win or go 8-8/7-9.

To me, with a last place schedule, no way we don't win 7 games on his coaching alone next year.

I'm a Christian, I love the Lord, and I love people. But, I say Nooooooooooooooooo to Tebow. I love space and I love engineering, but NASA would say Noooooooooooooooooo if I asked to pilot the Space Shuttle.

Tebow maybe one heck of guy, doesn't mean he's the right guy for the Redskins.
Tebow maybe a man of character, that doesn't mean its the right character for the Redskins.

AH has demonstrated he has the wrong character in every way. He's the anti-Tebow. But, he demands a double-team every time he lines up and Orakpo gets more sacks because of it.

D-Hall has demonstrated he has the wrong character, but he the most INTs than any other DB.

Tebow, doesn't just have a slow release, and it is glacially slow, he is also inaccurate without having any zip either. He was never been noted as a good passer in college. I can't see that changing against NFL calibre defences. His wind-up is so elaborate it that doesn't so much telegraph his throw as place advanced notice in all the major media outlets.

Posted by: WeNeedLinemen

I'm guessing that since Tom Brady was drafted in the 5th round his throwing motion was not perfect and there were other aspects of his game that the "experts" did not like. All of the Tebow critics will realize that five years from now when he is one of the top QB's in the league that they were wrong.

This guy is a winner and those of you who are finding fault in him are fools. Particularly the heathens that are critical of his beliefs.

If you're the vikings do you offer your #1 for McNabb to jump ahead of the Rams or stick with the Favre soap opera one more year?

Posted by: skinswest | March 24, 2010 6:09 PM |

A 1st round draft pick is a lot to offer for an aging QB that probaby has at most two more years of above average performance in him, even if it is a low 1st round pick. Even the 33rd pick is alot to pay for McNabb. The thing is, the Eagles have come out and openly talked about trading him which right off the bat diminishes their negotiating power. They would have preferred that offers for McNabb had come to them on the QT.

I'm a Christian, I love the Lord, and I love people. But, I say Nooooooooooooooooo to Tebow. I love space and I love engineering, but NASA would say Noooooooooooooooooo if I asked to pilot the Space Shuttle.

The Rams' reported offer for Donovan McNabb includes a rather-nice addition to the team's No. 33 overall pick

HogsHaven:
Reports of McNabb reportedly been traded to STL Rams for OJ Atogwe and the Rams 2nd round pick are now false thanks to some Rams officials. Who knows what to believe but Philly radio was originally saying it was done

His intangibles are undeniable to a certain degree but I just think his mechanics and grasp of NFL defenses is gonna be so limited that he'll be a terrible NFL propsect.The gimmick offense will absolutely kill any ability to understand a pro style offense and dissect an NFL caliber defense.

Rivers didn't play in a gimmick offense in college he played under center.

I usually like guys like Tebow with the intangibles and the passion for the game I just think his skillset is so raw and underdeveloped he'll make too many dumb mistakes with fumbling and senseless picks that he'll be a waste of a pick.

I think JC could be fine under Shanny's watch with a rebuilt line and a scheme that takes advantage of his skillset morte often.

This pressure cooker I think will boil Tebow and strip him of the confidence he built in the college system.

McNabb to the Rams means Bradford is there at #4 -- unless someone trades the 2 or 3 pick. It also means that there is less chance Okung is there at #4.

I've said it before that I don't know college football, so I've got no opinion of the potential draft picks. But I know what's most critical to this team -- the OL. I also know how wrong people have been in picking QBs. Including some very smart people.

Heck, Bill Walsh selected Joe Montana in the 3rd round, traded a 2nd rounder to get Steve Young and plucked Jeff Garcia from Canada. The only QB Walsh ever selected in round 1 was Jim Druckenmiller.

Bottomn line, McNabb to StL is a bad thing for us and our real need, which is OL.

Bottomn line, McNabb to StL is a bad thing for us and our real need, which is OL.

Posted by: zcezcest1 | March 24, 2010 7:08 PM |

Actually if you think Okung will be gone at 4 then there is no other o-Line worth that pick. I know some of you would reach for the next best o-linemen and that would be stupid. I'm not saying we should take tebow there if Okung is gone, but we shouldn't reach for the 2nd OT in the draft.

Bottomn line, McNabb to StL is a bad thing for us and our real need, which is OL.

Posted by: zcezcest1 | March 24, 2010 7:08 PM |

How can it be bad for the Skins? It basically makes our pick more valuable because it restricts who the Rams chose with the 1st pick, thus expanding the choice set available to whoever has the 4th pick.

On Tebow changing his throwing motion -- I don't know. Usually it doesn't work that well.

Its really about the footwork and learning to protect the ball before you begin to throw. Seems to me that is where the biggest benefit is. Those things can be taught and improved. A lot of poor throws are a result of poor footwork, rushed delivery, etc.

Examples:

Rypien fumbled a lot, so Gibbs incorporated small rollouts (waggles) that allowed him to protect the ball better.

Brennan: He's short with a low release point. He'll need to find throwing lanes that taller QBs with higher release points wouldn't require. So Colt will need to learn how to slide a few feet to the left or right in his dropback in order to create the throwing lanes.

Actually if you think Okung will be gone at 4 then there is no other o-Line worth that pick. I know some of you would reach for the next best o-linemen and that would be stupid. I'm not saying we should take tebow there if Okung is gone, but we shouldn't reach for the 2nd OT in the draft.

Posted by: Flounder21 | March 24, 2010 7:17 PM |

In a draft you always have teams with picks that are overkill for the need they have vs. what is available to that pick for that need and vice versa. So in the case of the Skins, if Okung is not available at 4 then perhaps they can find a team with a need that matches the best available choice at 4 and make a trade with them to get their lower 1st round pick which allows the Skins to select the next best available OL and something else as well like a 3rd rounder that the Skins lost when Vinny did his supplemental shtick.

Per Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Rams G.M. Billy Devaney says that report of a trade is "[a]bsolutely false" and "utterly ridiculous."

Howard Eskin of WIP echoes that report, citing an unnamed high-ranking Rams official who said that the Rams have never even spoken to the Eagles about McNabb.

Translation: the Eagles are asking way too much for McNabb and they will have to come down in price if they want to do a deal with the Rams. Probably also ditto with the Vikings. And they probably will since they seem hot to offload him and their potential trading partners know this. Andy Reid's personnel philosohy has always been "deal'em while they still have decent value" and the "decent value" window on McNabb is closing pretty fast.

How can it be bad for the Skins? It basically makes our pick more valuable because it restricts who the Rams chose with the 1st pick, thus expanding the choice set available to whoever has the 4th pick.

Posted by: FourthAndOne

My opinion, we need the most help along the line, OT in particular. Which, from what people are saying, leads to Okung. If the Rams get McNabb, they won't need a QB. So they'll grab Suh or Okung from what I've read. So it lowers the chance we get the guy we need.

Flounder, as often as I disagree with you, you could well be right that the 2nd best OT is the draft isn't nearly as good as the best OT. And that it'd be a stretch for us to get the 2nd best OT a #4. I really don't know enough about the quality of the OTs, Okung included. Though there does seem to be a consensus that Okung is the best.

If we have to use the #4 pick overall on a DT because that is the best player available, I could see that. Wouldn't be thrilled (especially for a 3-4), but I could see that.

Shanny's been around the block enough times to know how to work the media. Anything he says is mostly smoke. What's he gonna say when asked about a player who's been totally cooperative and willing to work, that he stinks and will never play in the NFL?

Finally, Shanahan discussed the importance of having a strong supporting cast and a solid offensive system. "I don't care what quarterback you have, you have to have a good supporting cast and not only a good supporting cast but you got to have a system that really relates to the players and that's what you're working for as a head coach in the NFL, to put that all together," Shanahan said.

Of course, that will make some Bears fans wonder whether offensive coordinator Mike Martz will be using a "system that really relates to the players." Based on the system Martz has used in the past, it's possible that the answer is "no."

My opinion, we need the most help along the line, OT in particular. Which, from what people are saying, leads to Okung. If the Rams get McNabb, they won't need a QB. So they'll grab Suh or Okung from what I've read. So it lowers the chance we get the guy we need.

Posted by: zcezcest1 | March 24, 2010 8:09 PM |

The Rams could take Okung. But if they did it would be the 2nd year in a row they took the best available OL. That would raise some eyebrows, for sure. Kind of reminiscent of Vinny taking 3 recievers in the 2008 draft in the 2nd round, none of whom had the surname Jackson.

The comparison of Tebow to Philip Rivers breaks down pretty quickly. At the time Rivers was drafted, he was compared to Bernie Kosar -- a tall, rather stiff guy with a tendency to throw sidearm. Nobody questioned his accuracy or ability to throw deep, and everyone raved about his football IQ. The question was whether too many of his throws would get knocked down at the line of scrimmage.

Eli Manning was judged the superior prospect based on his classic throwing motion and superior arm strength (although neither could throw it as far as Roethlisberger). His last name played a part, of course, but when draft day arrived, it was clear that the Giants had wanted Eli all along, and the Chargers had always been more interested in Rivers.

Of the three, you see who has the rings. That has more to do with the teams they play on than the quality of their quarterbacking. They're all good.

It was just a great draft.

Nobody in his right mind would compare Tebow to Kosar. Tebow is mobile in the extreme, more of a runner than a passer, and accustomed to operating out of a shotgun and throwing to receivers who are usually wide open. That's not good preparation for the NFL. Rivers needed a full season to acclimate to pro ball; Tebow will probably need two or more. Unless the team alters its offense to fit his style of play, the way Atlanta did for Vick and Tennessee did for Vince Young last year. If you have the right personnel, it can work, sort of.

But the real role model for any run-happy college QB isn't Vick, it's Steve Young. Wasn't til Steve learned to resist the impulse to use his legs, that he became a Hall of Fame player. Until then, he was mainly a curiosity.

At the end of the day, I don't think any of us know for sure what Tebow can and will do once in the NFL. After following the NFL for so many years, and hearing things such as, "franchise QB", and "has the ability to make all the throws", "can't miss", etc. and then the guy turns out to be a bum.

I don't need to list the names, most of you up here already know them. Tim Tebow appears to have a lot of heart, a strong work ethic, a lot of pride, and is a competitor. These workouts ,combines, drills etc., don't measure what it really takes to be a modern day gladiator.

At the end of the day, I don't think any of us know for sure what Tebow can and will do once in the NFL. After following the NFL for so many years, and hearing things such as, "franchise QB", and "has the ability to make all the throws", "can't miss", etc. and then the guy turns out to be a bum.

I don't need to list the names, most of you up here already know them. Tim Tebow appears to have a lot of heart, a strong work ethic, a lot of pride, and is a competitor. These workouts ,combines, drills etc., don't measure what it really takes to be a modern day gladiator.

really it shouldn't have been a story. But the media will over-hype/magnify any public misstep on Tim Tebow.

Posted by: Vicc

You serious? That's a great comedy moment. Nervous players ready to take a test. Sanctimonious tho well-meaning wonderboy suggests prayer to a bunch of people who will earn their living trying to hurt one another.

I believe you've been saying that all along, but would you take a moment and prove it's true? It shouldn't be difficult. Just review the teams in the NFL and note how they obtained their starting linemen -- via early picks vs later picks vs undrafted vs free agents vs what have you -- and the rightness of your position should be obvious.

Unless you're wrong, of course.

Posted by: Samson151 | March 23, 2010 10:52 PM | Report abuse

OK Samson, I've done some research as you requested. My basic statement was that since we need a LT to start this year, the only way to get a starter is to select someone in the first round. Some people have been saying that we could get OT's later in the draft, and my argument was that you only get projects with later picks.

I went through all of the OT's select in the second or later rounds of 2009 draft. I looked at 18 players. Two selected in the 2nd round started 15 games this in their rookie year: Eben Britton and Phil Loadhold, selected #39 and #54, both started at RIGHT OT. Vollmer, drafted #58, was active for 14 games, and started 8 at LT. Beatty was active for all 16 games, but started 4 games at LT. Those are the only two out of 18 that played at all at LT. Nine of the 18 never started a game, and were active for no more than one game for the season. Lang drafted #109, played OG, started 3 games. And Jamon Merethith, drafted #162, was active for 8 games, and started 4 at RT. So the only exceptions to my statement were Vollmer and Beatty, taken #58 and #60, ie. by the end of the 2nd round.

"If the Rams get McNabb, they won't need a QB. So they'll grab Suh or Okung from what I've read. So it lowers the chance we get the guy we need.Posted by: zcezcest"

The Rams are very unlikely to draft a left tackle two years in a row. Plus McNabb will be 34 during the regular season. Spag is a defensive coach, and paradoxically, they're more likely to draft offensive players. Bradford would be a natural.

Fredie- As a professor from the prestigious Catholic University that I own a degree from..I would have gladly done the research for you...

Sampson 151/Bacardi151

2010 Pro Bowl - Offensive Line Rosters:

- Of the 15 OL, 9 were first round picks. 5 of those were selected in first seven picks.
- 5 of the 7 Tackles were 1st round picks (3 being top 4 picks)
- 5 of the 11 QBs (incl reserves and alternates) were 1st round picks

2009 Pro Bowl - Offensive Line Rosters:

- Of the 16 OL, ten were 1st round picks
- 6 of the 8 Tackles were 1st round picks.
- 4 of the 7 QBs were 1st round picks

Enough said...Professor frediefritz is without a shadow of a doubt correct.

I say dump albert cerrato get a couple of draft picks for him take offrnsive tackle, D nose or end Tebow nd Brry as safety Get young and viscious. Maybe LaVar would come back as a Strong Safety . Seen him the other day and thats what he looks like. I horton comes back and punishes people along with Barnes. After watchingthe combine for the millionith time I likethat campbell kid out of Maryland. I just don't want to see him wasted in the raiders organization like heyward bey has been. I still think he is a good receiver in the right system.

I think the 'skins are more likely to take the guy who advised Tebow to "Shut the F+++ up" when he suggested a prayer before the Wunderlic.

Posted by: TheCork | March 24, 2010 9:05 PM |

I am not very knowledgeable about the efficacy of prayer. Do you have to pray right before the event for it to work? Or can you pray in the privacy of your room an hour before the event and that is okay also? If it has to be right before the event then that person who told Tebow to STFU would have been untoward with his remark.

NEGATIVES: Has a terrible throwing motion that is best described as awkward. Pushes the ball or whips it from the side and falls out of his throws. Looks like he's throwing a heavy ball and constantly changes his point of release. Cannot drive the deep pass and not accurate down the field.

ANALYSIS: Rivers is the type of prospect that will draw much debate and discussion leading up to and after draft day. While many criticize his mechanics and throwing fundamentals, you can not overlook his accuracy or ability to lead a team. May not be a quarterback for everyone and can only fit certain schemes, but a solid first-round selection that could quickly break into a starting lineup at the next level.

"On Tebow changing his throwing motion -- I don't know. Usually it doesn't work that well."

For me, it's not the throwing motion, it's, does Tebow have the ability to look off a safety, read the second option, then throw the ball across the field to another receiver breaking open to the other side of the field.

If Shanahan feels that Tebow has the ability to this, then who are we to doubt his comments about the guy?

where is it written that you have to draft a LT with the #4...so you have stats on any stud LT from round 2-7?

rickyroge-

I love you cause, you're a regular, but here are the F--KING numbers

2010 Pro Bowl - Offensive Line Rosters:

- Of the 15 OL, 9 were first round picks. 5 of those were selected in first seven picks.
- 5 of the 7 Tackles were 1st round picks (3 being top 4 picks)
- 5 of the 11 QBs (incl reserves and alternates) were 1st round picks

2009 Pro Bowl - Offensive Line Rosters:

- Of the 16 OL, ten were 1st round picks
- 6 of the 8 Tackles were 1st round picks.
- 4 of the 7 QBs were 1st round picks

NEGATIVES: Has a terrible throwing motion that is best described as awkward. Pushes the ball or whips it from the side and falls out of his throws. Looks like he's throwing a heavy ball and constantly changes his point of release. Cannot drive the deep pass and not accurate down the field.

ANALYSIS: Rivers is the type of prospect that will draw much debate and discussion leading up to and after draft day. While many criticize his mechanics and throwing fundamentals, you can not overlook his accuracy or ability to lead a team. May not be a quarterback for everyone and can only fit certain schemes, but a solid first-round selection that could quickly break into a starting lineup at the next level.

Posted by: lifelongfan | March 24, 2010 9:48 PM | Report abuse

This is a GREAT post...cause' I saw Phillip Rivers throw a 40 yd TD pass into triple coverage on the muthafuggin money!

"I am not very knowledgeable about the efficacy of prayer. Do you have to pray right before the event for it to work? Or can you pray in the privacy of your room an hour before the event and that is okay also?"

Prayer has a strong emotional benefit in that it allows the believer to unleash stress via self-reflection and examination.

But in terms of efficacy, it's about as helpful as a roll of wet toilet paper on the one day you have diarrhea.

I believe, like most hardcore secularists, that preparation and hard work yields better results than closing one's eyes and begging reverently for help.

And of course, when things do go wrong, shouting, "What the f!ck?" also allows you to unleash stress and frustration.

Especially if you find yourself on the toilet with diarrhea in a house where the only roll of toilet paper is wet.

pabrian...where is it written that you have to draft a LT with the #4...so you have stats on any stud LT from round 2-7?

pabrian...I love you cause, you're a regular, but F--K the numbers, Sanchez played in the AFC Championship...which means...he may not be great, but somewhere along the way he made a play!

Posted by: rickyroge

with respect, you don't have to take a LT, but then you don't have to take a QB either.

there are 6 or 8 guys that have #4 value, you get one of those guys.

but NOT taking an O lineman in the first for 10 years is an anomaly. Sanchez made some plays, so did Campbell. Sanchez had pro bowl lineman and the #1 rushing attack in the NFL, Campbell did not. Do the math.

Sanchez would have gotten destroyed on the skins, as would anyone else inthe league

On the same day that Redskins coach Mike Shanahan sung the praises of his former quarterback in Denver, Shanahan stopped short of declaring either Jason Campbell or Rex Grossman to be "the guy" in D.C.

Asked by NFL Network's Jason La Canfora whether there will be an open competition at the position, Shanahan said, "There's competition at every position. Just because a guy comes in as a maybe third, fourth or fifth guy, it doesn't mean he doesn't have a chance to compete. But Rex Grossman was with [offensive coordinator] Kyle [Shanahan] in Houston, he understands the system. . . . We're going to get as much steps as we can and have all these guys compete."

Uh-oh. Washington? Get ready for a guy who fumbles a lot, and who throws a lot of deep interceptions. You should just pretend they're punts.

Ok...there is competition at every position but Florio loves to twist it. Point is competition is good.

Ok...there is competition at every position but Florio loves to twist it. Point is competition is good.

Posted by: Diesel44 | March 24, 2010 11:02 PM
=-==
competition is good...
Past Skins management have played the size of the Contracts.. Regardless of who played better during practice... Collins is a good example.. better QB but, made a 10th of what JC made.

Its why the Skins never really develop players like the Giants, Pats and Indy so well. These are teams that start the player that that is incrementally improving. It breeds hungry competitive players. The opposite approach, ie. the Skins, kills the morale.
Its also why we saw the Skins improve dramatically when the large fat Contract guys headed to IR the last 6 games of the year. For example, recall Betts and Ganthier finding holes that Portis said didnt exist, with the same OLine.

Hope Shanny is talking up Tebow so, Jacksonville trades up for the Skins high 2nd pick. JAX has one of the NFL's top ten OLines in terms of depth and talent. Be nice to take a Tackle off their hands and one of their lower 2nd picks or a 3rd.
Then JAX can grab their anointed ticket selling, franchise savior, Tebow.

Past Skins management have played the size of the Contracts.. Regardless of who played better during practice... Collins is a good example.. better QB but, made a 10th of what JC made.

Posted by: SkinsneedaGM | March 24, 2010 11:50 PM

That's actually a pretty poor example...JC played because he was the better QB. I mean, you're talking about a young, former 1st round pick with some upside that's a decent starter vs. an old, slow career-backup who went 10 years between starts. The Portis/Betts example was spot on though, because in '06 a competent GM would have re-signed Betts to that deal and then turned around and traded Portis while his stock was still high (salary cap permitting, of course).

But I 100% agree that competition is good, especially when there's not many players on this roster that have played well enough to guarantee a spot in the starting lineup. There should be no sacred cows after the debacle of '09.

He said the Skins is going to try there best to trade down N the first two rounds of this years draft and draft OL,QB,OL,RB but it also depends on whose up dere of course on draft value

Posted by: PardenMiSwage | March 24, 2010 11:48 PM

I hope you don't REALLY think the brother of our GM would a) know what our draft plan is or b) come out and public reveal it. The fact that he gave you an answer at all tells me he knows the answer to that question about as well as you or I do...